Women and Snoring
As much as the cliche of the large man snoring away in a recliner in front of the television has permeated popular culture, the affliction is not reserved for men. Women and snoring also go hand in hand. All of the reasons that cause a man to snore can also apply to women.
When it’s a man who is snoring, it almost seems natural for the wife to complain and for the man to listen to the complaints with some degree of removal. Hey, he’s a man, it’s expected. He’ll treat the problem if he wants – or not. Perhaps he’s embarrassed by his condition but it doesn’t seem to be quite as sensitive a subject as when it’s a woman who has the problem.
When women snore, it’s easy for them to feel a great deal more embarrassment about the situation. The reason is that our society has painted the issue as being very male so a woman sufferrer feels some loss of femininity. No matter the cause, a woman feels slightly less attractive for her condition. She may not handle the situation well at all and any attempts to discuss the situation with her might be met with defensive responses.
If you are a woman with a snoring problem, don’t be embarrassed. Find a solution. If you are the partner to a woman who snores, approach the situation carefully and realize that it can be a very sensitive issue. Don’t expect her to be very grateful for your concern and don’t get upset if she bites your head off every time you point out that she snored again the previous night. Just realize that those responses are signs of her feeling humiliated about the entire situation.
Instead, let her know it’s your health and quality of sleep that you are concerned with and that you want to be able to help. Suggest solutions and talk about how she would prefer to receive feedback about how those solutions are working.
Certainly, this type of advice works for both men and women with a snoring problem. It’s simply not something someone is going to be excited to talk about but for their own health and for an improved quality of sleep it needs to be addressed.
